Confirmed Case of Chickenpox in West MI Unvaccinated Student

WEST OLIVE, MI – On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) received information on a confirmed case of chickenpox in an unvaccinated student attending Waukazoo Elementary in West Ottawa.

Parents of students in this school building were notified of the chickenpox case in a letter stating:

By order of the Ottawa County Department of Public Health under the authority of the Michigan Public Health Code Act 368 of 1978, if your child has not been immunized and you cannot provide a verification of a previous diagnosis of chickenpox, he/she will be excluded from school until November 1, 2018, and may return to school November 2, 2018, provided they have not developed chickenpox during this time period.

If you suspect that your child has chickenpox you are encouraged to contact your medical care provider. All individuals diagnosed with chickenpox should be kept home until the rash has crusted over (usually about five days).

If you have been told previously that your child should not receive the vaccine because of a medical condition, please contact your child’s medical provider in the event of chickenpox exposure.

If you have any questions about chickenpox please contact your family’s physician.

Additionally, children and adults who have a compromised immune system through medication or a medical condition should contact their physician.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious illness that generally starts with a slight fever, followed by a blister-like, itchy rash. Although this is usually not a serious illness, in some children and certain high-risk individuals chickenpox can cause much more severe illness leading to hospitalization or even death. Learn more about chickenpox at www.cdc.gov/chickenpox.